Boutin, a 30-year Eastern Maine Healthcare System employee, said she is excited to see the program get off the ground.

“This program meets the needs of patients who aren’t sick enough to be in the hospital and don’t quality for home health care but, at the same time, require highly specialized care,” Boutin said.

“There have been so many changes in both medicine and society that have created this need for advanced specialty wound care,” Boutin said. “Today, people are living with extremely complex wound and skin complications. For example, years ago, limbs would have been amputated because of a serious wound, diabetic problem, or trauma.

“Now, we are able to treat these critical wounds, provide education and long-term follow-up care, and ultimately help our patients heal.”

The Blue Hill wound care team will work with providers across the region including primary care as well as vascular, surgical and dermatologic specialists.

Patients needing wound care services should call their provider’s office for a referral or call the Blue Hill Memorial Hospital Special Clinic – Wound and Skin Center at 374-3404 for more information.